Negative-pressure type magnetic head slider, and method of producing the same

Abstract

A magnetic head slider having an operating surface on which are formed a pair of air-bearing portions extending in a direction of flow of an air stream into a flying height between the head slider and a recording medium, a cross rail extending between the air-bearing portions, and a pressure-reducing portion formed between the air-bearing portions and downstream of the cross rail. The air-bearing portions, cross rail and pressure-reducing portions cooperate to maintain the amount of the flying height at an optimum value. The slider uses a ferrite single crystal which provides at least the operating surface and which have crystal faces oriented such that the (111) plane of the crystal is not a plane which is parallel to the extension of the downstream edge line of the cross rail, or such that the (111) plane is parallel to the extension of the downstream edge line of the cross rail and is inclined at an angle of at least 60° with respect to the operating surface. The operating surface is formed by chemical etching through an etching mask, by using an aqueous phosphoric acid solution.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A negative-pressure type magnetic head slider, having an operating surface facing a surface of a magnetic recording medium, the head slider comprising: an inclined portion for introducing an air stream into an air bearing clearance between the operating surface and the surface of the recording medium;   a pair of mutually spaced-apart, parallel air-bearing portions extending in a direction of flow of the air stream for causing the air stream to hold the head slider away from the surface of the recording medium;   a cross rail extending between and connecting said air-bearing portions for reducing an amount of flow of the air stream;   a pressure-reducing portion disposed between said air-bearing portions and downstream of said cross rail in the direction of flow of the air stream and cooperating with said cross rail for reducing a pressure of the air stream to thereby cause the head slider to be attracted toward the surface of the recording medium, said pressure-reducing portion being defined by a recess having a depth measured from a top surface of said air bearing portions and a surface of said cross rail; and   an inclined shoulder surface extending in a direction parallel to said cross rail, said inclined shoulder surface connecting the surface of said cross rail and a bottom surface of said recess;   wherein at least the operating surface of the head slider consists of a ferrite single crystal, said cross rail having a downstream edge line separating the surface of said cross rail and said inclined shoulder surface, said single crystal having crystal faces which are oriented such that a (111) plane of said single crystal is a plane other than a plane which is parallel to a direction of extension of a downstream edge line of said cross rail as viewed in the direction of flow of the air stream, said inclined shoulder surface having an inclination angle of at least 60° with respect to the surface of said cross rail and the bottom surface of said recess.   
     
     
       2. The magnetic head slider of claim 1, wherein said crystal faces of said ferrite single crystal are oriented such that a combination of a first plane parallel to the operating surface, a second plane parallel to the direction of flow of the air stream and perpendicular to the operating surface, and a third plane parallel to said downstream edge line of said cross rail and perpendicular to the operating surface is selected from the groups of planes consisting of: (110), (111) and (211); (100), (100), and (100); and (210), (100), and (210). 
     
     
       3. The magnetic head slider of claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of said recess has a roughness not exceeding an Rmax of 0.1 μm. 
     
     
       4. A negative-pressure type magnetic head slider having an operating surface which faces a surface of a magnetic recording medium, the head slider comprising: an inclined portion for introducing an air stream into an air bearing clearance between the operating surface and the surface of the recording medium;   a pair of mutually spaced-apart parallel air-bearing portions extending in a direction of flow of the air stream for causing said air stream to hold the head slider away from the surface of the recording medium;   a cross rail extending between and connecting said air-bearing portions for reducing an amount of flow of the air stream;   a pressure-reducing portion disposed between said air-bearing portions and downstream of said cross rail in the direction of flow of the air stream and cooperating with said cross rail for reducing a pressure of the air stream to thereby cause the head slider to be attracted toward the surface of the recording medium, said pressure-reducing portion being defined by a recess having a depth measured from a top surface of said air-bearing portions and a surface of said cross rail; and   an inclined shoulder surface extending in a direction parallel to said cross rail, said inclined shoulder surface connecting the surface of said cross rail and a bottom surface of said recess;   wherein at least the operating surface of the head slider consists of a ferrite single crystal, said cross rail having a downstream edge line separating the surface of said cross rail and said inclined shoulder surface, said single crystal having crystal faces which are oriented such that a (111) plane of said single crystal is parallel to a direction of extension of said downstream edge line of said cross rail and is inclined at an angle of at least 60° with respect to the operating surface, said inclined shoulder surface having an inclination angle of at least 60° with respect to the surface of said cross rail and the bottom surface of said recess.   
     
     
       5. The magnetic head slider of claim 4, wherein said crystal faces of said ferrite single crystal are oriented such that a combination of a first plane parallel to the operating surface, a second plane parallel to the direction of flow of the air stream and perpendicular to the operating surface, and a third plane parallel to said downstream edge line of said cross rail and perpendicular to the operating surface are selected from the group of planes consisting of: (211), (110) and (111); (311), (110) and (332); and (110), (211) and (111). 
     
     
       6. The magnetic head slider of claim 5, wherein said bottom surface of said recess has a roughness not exceeding an Rmax of 0.1 μm. 
     
     
       7. The magnetic head slider of claim 4, wherein said ferrite single crystal consists of a Mn-Zn single crystal.